Pre-Game Talk: Wild @ Leafs, Oct 15th - 7pm (TSN4) and Leafs @ Caps, Oct 16th - 7 pm (SN1)

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Leafs should easily defeat a poor and demoralized Wild team. So why play Andersen? Then they play Washington and play Hutchinson? Heck maybe it will work-reverse psychology type of thing-but from my armchair I would have saved my number one goalie for what projects to be the tougher game.
Because you have a decent chance of your terrible backup goalie blowing the first game, and your starter losing the second game against a much better team, when inevitably the leafs will be more tired.

I'd much rather the "guaranteed" 2 points+a chance at 2 more ,than a risk at 4 points
 
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Buds17

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Leafs should easily defeat a poor and demoralized Wild team. So why play Andersen? Then they play Washington and play Hutchinson? Heck maybe it will work-reverse psychology type of thing-but from my armchair I would have saved my number one goalie for what projects to be the tougher game.

Essentially, I'd guess Babcock is betting on the thought that the Leaf skaters will be more energized in the first game of the back-to-back, and in the better position to win as a result of that. He's working to a perceived strength of his own team rather than a perceived strength or weakness of the opposing team (the supposed quality of that team).
 
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CantLoseWithMatthews

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Our rivals are all having great seasons so far.

I know it’s early but I hate that we have this team that has been built for several years now and should be dominant at this time of the year because they should know what it takes to be successful, yet we look so unprepared.

When you look at Boston - they’re so consistently great and you never question them. Buffalo is absolutely killing it. Montreal looks solid so far. Tampa just demolished us.

We have this team loaded with apparent star talent, but we haven’t done a single thing to separate ourselves from the pack yet. 6 games into the season isn’t the end of the world, but my expectations for our young players have been so high and I’m definitely concerned about our approach to every game.

Hopefully we take advantage of what should be a tired and struggling team and absolutely rip the Wild apart - but I really don’t know if we have the mental abilities and desire to do that to any team right now.
Saying Tampa is having a great season so far because they beat us is a stretch. They've still had a worse start. It's also a bit unrealistic to expect separation from the rest of the league in 6 games
 
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Schooner

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Leafs should easily defeat a poor and demoralized Wild team. So why play Andersen? Then they play Washington and play Hutchinson? Heck maybe it will work-reverse psychology type of thing-but from my armchair I would have saved my number one goalie for what projects to be the tougher game.
Because Babcock likes to give divisional rivals easy points. Washington is a new toss up since they aren't in division, but this will be a great opportunity to get their season on track against us. Good guy, Babs.
 

Schooner

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Essentially, I'd guess Babcock is betting on the thought that the Leaf skaters will be more energized in the first game of the back-to-back, and in the better position to win as a result of that. He's working to a perceived strength of his own team rather than a perceived strength or weakness of the opposing team (the supposed quality of that team).
Which is usually fine, but when 3 of those games in Oct alone are against, MTLx2, and Boston, can we not?
 

18leafsfan18

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Fans claiming Babcock should start Anderson tomorrow instead of tonight need to realize that you get the points that are in front of you.

If Babcock starts Hutch and Leafs lose tonight they are in a very tight spot.

I assume the same people would blame Babcock if he started Hutch tonight and Leafs lost both games.
 
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Buds17

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Which is usually fine, but when 3 of those games in Oct alone are against, MTLx2, and Boston, can we not?

I'd like them to get as many of those divisional points as well. There are more games played against the rest of the league though, for whatever that may be worth. There's no guaranteed approach regardless.

I'd frequently take the three out of four points that the team picked up on the first back-to-back of the season. It was obviously rough how that fourth point was seemingly well within grasp before things fell apart. The backup in net, tired Leaf team in the third period, the Habs finding that extra gear, something else...who knows for sure why it all unfolded as it did?
 
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MoreMogilny

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Saying Tampa is having a great season so far because they beat us is a stretch. They've still had a worse start. It's also a bit unrealistic to expect separation from the rest of the league in 6 games

Since last season Tampa showed what kind of team they can be, but when it came to them I only wrote that they demolished us.

Why does it have to be unrealistic? Why do we settle for less? It’s not like we are an unknown commodity. At some point your team has to leap forward and show why they can win it all.
 

Gabriel426

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Jun 30, 2015
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Ticketmaster. They release tickets on game day and so far, at much below what they’d been selling previously. Don’t think it should be hard to find tickets, depending on how many and where in the building I suppose.
Thanks. I find ticketmaster to be more expensive than stubhub. Can’t wait for the game
 

leaffaninvancouver

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Frankly he's right about the start on time thing. Just because you get scored in the first five minutes doesn't mean you didn't start on time. The Detroit game was a perfect example of that, we came out controlled the play had some good zone time and offensive pressure but Detroit scored first, we absolutely started on time we just got scored on first.
 

Judas Tavares

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I for one would rather try to go for every point possible, rather than this play it safe and conceed game 2 crap, but what do I know? You want 100 points in 3rd place again? Continue this dreck.
 

ACC1224

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I for one would rather try to go for every point possible, rather than this play it safe and conceed game 2 crap, but what do I know? You want 100 points in 3rd place again? Continue this dreck.
With a consistent approach you're letting the team know that you feel you can win with whoever is in net.
 

Judas Tavares

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With a consistent approach you're letting the team know that you feel you can win with whoever is in net.
This is true, but I just feel like this situation is ripe for Hutch vs. Minny. A brutal team coming off a B2B. If you can't beat that with Hutch, you have big problems. Essentially, the chances of beating Minny with Hutch over Andersen should be more automatic than beating Washington with Hutch over Andersen. The goalie should have little to no difference vs. Minny. It would against Washington. Put your best against the best.
 
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Burnie97

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Frankly he's right about the start on time thing. Just because you get scored in the first five minutes doesn't mean you didn't start on time. The Detroit game was a perfect example of that, we came out controlled the play had some good zone time and offensive pressure but Detroit scored first, we absolutely started on time we just got scored on first.

Other than the Tampa game. Leafs have been good. Not great yet... but good.
 
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